Research.Pdf (1.943Mb)

Research.Pdf (1.943Mb)

LIFE AND WAR IN KOREA: PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAYALS OF THE KOREAN WAR IN LIFE MAGAZINE, JULY 1950 - AUGUST 1953 _______________________________________________________ A Dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School University of Missouri–Columbia _______________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy _____________________________________________________ by SUN-A KIM Dr. C. Zoe Smith, Dissertation Supervisor AUGUST 2008 © Copyright by Sun-A Kim 2008 All Rights Reserved The undersigned, appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled LIFE AND WAR IN KOREA: PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAYALS OF THE KOREAN WAR IN LIFE MAGAZINE, JULY 1950 – AUGUST 1953 Presented by Sun-A Kim A candidate for the degree for Doctor of Philosophy And hereby certify that in their opinion it is worthy of acceptance. Dr. C. Zoe Smith, Dissertation Supervisor Dr. Wayne Wanta Dr. Stephanie Craft Dr. William Benoit Dr. Carol E. Anderson To Young Hwan Cha, with Love ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As I have grown older, I have realized that life is a beautiful and elaborate fabric in which the relationships with the people surrounding me are woven together. The weave is done sometimes closely and sometimes loosely, but each relationship makes a unique design and pattern. I have met many wonderful people while getting through all the steps of my life, and these encounters have made my life full of joy and happiness. I truly believe that these encounters have contributed to all that I have achieved. I could never have reached this amazing moment without their support and help. First of all, it is with deep gratitude that I thank my advisor Dr. C. Zoe Smith for her understanding, her caring, and her intellectual guidance. She has been a valued mentor. I am very lucky to have met her and have her as my advisor. She led me to an academic life and gave me motivation to pursue my Ph. D. at the University of Missouri- Colombia. Her scholarship and knowledge have provided me with invaluable insights, which I really appreciate. She always supported and encouraged me. Many thanks to my wonderful committee members for providing great advice. Dr. Wayne Wanta listened with patience to my problems, showing that one can be a great scholar and a nice person at the same time. Dr. Stephanie Craft helped me make clear the concepts that I was confused about. Dr. William Benoit made my research better with his precise eye. Dr. Carol E. Anderson energized me with her passion and genuine interest in my research. ii Infinite thanks and love go to my husband Young Hwan Cha, who sacrificed three years of his life for me. He has never said no to me when I have pursued a dream. Although he was apart from me in Korea, he was always beside me, supporting and encouraging me in my hard times. I cannot thank my parents enough for believing me and supporting me when I restarted my study late in my life. Their unconditional and unlimited love for me made what I am now. I also acknowledge here Dong Hee Kim, my mentor in Korea, who changed my life with her passion for photography. She has always guided me into a right path. I thank Joan Koffler for her nurturing and caring personality. She is my mom in America. She has always been on my side, providing me with a shelter for peace of mind. I also would like to thank Malissa Peacock for her innumerable hours editing my several drafts of the study. I also appreciate the times spent with her family. Finally, I thank God for letting me meet these wonderful people and giving me a wonderful gift for my time and effort spent for the last three years. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................ ii LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................. vi ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................1 Overview Purpose of the Study Importance of Study 2. LITERATURE REVIEW........................................................................................11 Theoretical Framework – Framing Theory Theoretical Framework – Cultural Studies Constructing Reality and Myths as News Frame Picturing Conflicts Picturing the Invasion of Iraq Picturing the Korean War Research Questions 3. METHODOLOGY..................................................................................................34 Justification for selecting Life magazine Content Analysis Ideological Analysis iv 4. CONTENT ANALYSIS RESULTS........................................................................55 Content Analysis Visual Framing of the Korean War Summary 5. IDEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS..................................................................................72 Ideological Analysis The Development of Themes Themes That Were Absent and Related Themes 6. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS.................................................................175 Discussion Conclusion Limitations and Further Research FOOTNOTES ..................................................................................................................187 APPENDIX 1. CODING LIST FOR CONTENT ANALYSIS .....................................................192 2. LIST OF THEMES FOR IDEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS ......................................193 3. THEME(S) FOR EACH PHOTOGRAPHIC PACKAGE FOR IDEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS.......................................................................................................194 4. LIST OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC PACKAGES FOR IDEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS.......................................................................................................199 5. PHOTOGRAPHIC PACKAGES FOR IDEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS ...............201 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................204 VITA ................................................................................................................................220 * SPECIAL NOTE: The photographs analyzed for ideological analysis could not be included because of copyright issues. The list of the figures mentioned in the study and their corresponding pages from Life magazine is in Appendix 5. v LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Frequency and Percentages of Nations and Subjects ...............................................56 vi LIFE AND WAR IN KOREA: PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAYALS OF THE KOREAN WAR IN LIFE MAGAZINE, JULY 1950 - AUGUST 1953 Sun-A Kim Dr. C. Zoe Smith, Dissertation Supervisor ABSTRACT This study examines the visual portrayal of the Korean War, as presented in Life magazine from July 1950 through August 1953, by adopting the theoretical framework of framing and cultural studies and by combining two methodologies: content analysis and ideological analysis. In light of recent international situations such as the end of the Cold War and the Iraq War, and the nuclear crisis of North Korea, it is this intention of this study to provide a new, balanced view of the Korean War. By recovering American history’s “forgotten war,” this study attempts an interpretative examination of the visual construction of news events and features. Content analysis results show that Life’s coverage was U.S.-centered and that the magazine published a reasonable number of combat photographs, but almost no photographs taken of Korean civilian casualties or of the country’s destruction. Ideological analysis shows that Life’s photographs followed several mythical themes: Victory in the air, Defeat on the ground, Unready/ Unpopular war, MacArthur as a hero, Good versus evil, Paternalism/Humanitarianism, and Tragedy of Korea. Results and analysis suggest that although Life presented the Korean War as America’s military tragedy and their disillusionment with war, Cold War politics still defined it as a just war, meant to save South Korea from the evils of Communism. vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Overview The Korean War began on June 25, 1950 and ended with an armistice on July 27, 1953. On the national level, it was a civil war between North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea, or ROK). Both countries existed as provisional governments competing for control after the division of Korea at the end of World War II. On the international level, the Korean War was also part of the Cold War between two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. The Korean War had already been conceived in 1945 in the international politics among the superpowers. At the close of World War II in 1945, Korea was liberated from 35 years of Japanese occupation, but divided into South and North at the 38th parallel by the United States and the Soviet Union, each of whom achieved Japan’s surrender in South and North Korea. Although it was agreed that Korea would govern independently after four years of trusteeship under the US-Soviet Joint Commission, both the United States and the Soviet Union approved the Korean-led governments for their respective halves. These governments, of course, were favorable to the occupying power’s political ideology. In the first months after the liberation from Japan, the sectional and ideological differences between North and South Korea were already widening between the two sides:

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